The Carfentanil Incident

The Carfentanil incident involves the illegal distribution and overdose deaths linked to carfentanil, an extremely potent synthetic opioid originally intended as a tranquilizer for large animals like elephants. Its potency makes even tiny amounts highly dangerous to humans, often leading to overdose. Criminal drug traffickers have illegally mixed carfentanil into other opioids like heroin or fentanyl to increase potency and profits, but this significantly raises the risk of accidental overdose for users. The incident highlights the ongoing opioid crisis, emphasizing the lethal dangers of illicit synthetic opioids and the challenges faced in combating their spread.